ABSTRACT
Introduction Assessment is a critical aspect of any English for academic purposes (EAP) program. In this chapter we start by distinguishing between testing and assessment, and discuss major purposes for assessment. We review the history of language assessment and EAP testing specifically, as well as current critical issues and topics in EAP assessment. Of particular importance in this section is the very definition of EAP. We then examine the current contributions of research to assessing EAP, and the research methods used to investigate it. Based on this review, we make recommendations for practice. Finally, we discuss future directions in testing, particularly with regard to the use of technology in test design and scoring.
